Girl meets life
by kmt455
Summary: The Gang begins to learn about life after Texas. Each of their relationships has changed, and will continue to change.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Girl Meets World. I haven't written before, but I guess Girl Meets Texas really inspired me, made me think a lot. Like I said it's my first time so be gentle. :) It's a Joshaya, Rucas pair up.**

"How was your date?" Maya asks Riley truly curious.

Riley stared at her feet, her mind going crazy. She thinks for what feels like an hour about the horrible date. She couldn't even look at Charlie without thinking of Lucas, and how much she wished he was there. She wasn't sure why she had been struggling with her feelings ever since the dance, when her Uncle Eric and his friend told her about their love triangle with a girl. The friend dated her a couple times, but then never talked to her again, where as her uncle had a brother sister relationship with her and they were still as close as ever. She wanted that with Lucas.

Did that mean they had to be brother and sister? That's what she'd thought, that's what she decided. She decided it once and for all when she saw they look on Maya's face as Lucas mounted the bull. Maya was her sister, and she would do anything for her to be happy. Just like she always wanted Lucas to be happy, and she'd do anything for him. A brother? She questioned herself. She wanted to always be able to talk to him, to never lose him. She wanted to stare into his eyes, to look at his smile, to hug him and never let go, to listen to his voice…..Forever.

"I dunno"

She finally responds quickly changing the subject to what she has been dying to know about since she left Farkle to go out with Charlie.

"How was your date?" and pastes a smile to her face, while her head starts screaming

"please tell me it was horrible, that you don't have feelings for him, that you'd rather run around with rainbows and butterflies in Rileytown, then spend one more minute alone with Lucas. That he wasn't into you either and was wishing I was there."

"I dunno" Maya responds sadly with confusion written all over her face.

The two best friends sit in silence. Riley turns from her friend's gaze to out the window almost wishing for the always interruptive "LADIES" from their other best friend Farkle. She doesn't know what's going on. She thought she had things figured out when they left Texas, until that dreadful moment in her Dad's class when she heard the words that hurt her more than she thought ever possible. The words she thought she was strong enough to hear. The words she would never be able to forget.

"Riley, something happened between me and Lucas."

It had hit her like the water in the Hoover Dam. She did the only thing she could do to keep her tears from flowing out of the Dam. "Yes I'll go out with you." She said as she slowly turned to Charlie.

"Technically lying isn't bad if I'm doing it to help my friends be happy!" She thought to herself.

She couldn't get the conversation she'd had with Farkle the night before out of her head. He had called her bluff. He had caught her in her lies. The ones she had been telling herself since Texas. If only he wasn't a genius! If only she could keep pretending.

"Riles?"

Maya snapped Riley out of her emotional trance.

"Hmmmm?" Riley asked putting the façade back on.

"What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Of course I am Maya, I'm just really tired."

"Right….." Maya said not believing a word of what she heard.

"I am fine Maya, I'm just not sure about Charlie. He is sooooooo nice, and sooooooo good, and…"

"Riley you held sooooo a bit too long there," Maya accused.

As if he had been aware of her silent pleading Farkle appeared.

"Ladies!" He said smoothly as he jumped through the window.

"Farkle!" Riley yelled and leaped from her spot on the bay window to give him a hug. He knew, and had threatened to tell Maya and Lucas, but Riley wasn't ready yet.

"It finally worked!" He teased as he embraced his hurting friend.

"Smoothies?" Riley asked to her two friends with her eyebrows raised. She'd give anything to get out of the bay window, out of the awkwardness she now felt with her best friend. She led the way as the three headed out the front door of the Matthews apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that day the Matthews family sat quietly at the dinner table. Auggie was sleeping at his friend Dew's house which left Riley and her parents alone. Riley simply stared at her plate. Her hands in her lap, her mind far away.

Topanga looked at her daughter with concern. How she wanted to explain that things would work out. That Riley was still young, and had so much ahead of her, but it wouldn't work, it wouldn't help. She remembered when she'd had a broken heart after reading the letter Cory had received from the ski bunny Lauren talking about the kiss they'd shared. Many people told her to move on, that things would get better, but none of those words had helped in the moment.

Cory couldn't even look at his daughter. He knew she was hurting, knew she loved Lucas, yet he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. She was too young to understand love. She wasn't ready for it. She was his beautiful Riley who found a way to smile about anything and everything, and yet at this moment there was no smile on his daughters face. He knew it without looking up at her. He felt the pain and continued to stare at his food and move it around from one side of his plate, to the other.

Suddenly the door swung open. Josh walked in with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

"Surprise!" He exclaimed ready for his normal greeting.

Cory was grateful for something to break the silence and emotional tension.

"My brother!" "My Brother!" They said to each other as they embraced!

Topanga was up next to give her brother in law a hug.

"Hey Josh!"

"TO-PANGA!" he exclaimed.

He was ready for a hug from his favorite niece as he finished hugging Topanga. Yet she wasn't there. She was still sitting at the table, in the same position she'd been in since he arrived.

"What are you doing here?" Cory asked before Josh could ask about Riley.

"Fall Break! I couldn't think of a better place to be then with my brother and his family!"

He paused and looked at his brother. "It is okay if I stay for a few days isn't it?"

"Of course! Of course!" Cory replied. Auggie is at a friend's house so you can have his bed for the night if you want.

"As tempting as it is to sleep in a little boy's bed… I think I'll take the couch." Josh said as he stole a glance back at Riley.

"What's going on with Riley?" He whispered to Cory and Topanga.

"haha going on with Riley? Pffff nothing's going on with Riley why does something have to be going on with Riley?" Cory rambled on nervously.

Josh looked at Riley, than at his brother, than back at Riley and suddenly he understood.

"This has something to do with a boy doesn't it!" He said slowly as the gears turned in his head. "This has something to do with that good looking Texan that you are scared of….." He said turning to Cory.

Riley snapped out of her trance as she heard the words "good looking Texan." She looked up to see her Uncle Josh talking to her parents.

"Hey Josh!" She said smiling and stood up to give him a welcome hug.

Josh didn't turn to see her, he was getting worked up. "WHAT DID TEXAS DO TO MY NEICE!" He yelled at Cory.

"Josh!" Riley said touching his shoulder. He turned to meet her gaze. She tried her best to be happy as she explained to her uncle what was going on.

"Josh Lucas didn't do anything to me. We learned that we aren't meant to be Riley and Lucas the greatest love story ever told. We are Riley and Lucas brother and sister, or I mean sister and brother because I said my name first so if I said brother first that would be weird because I'm a sister not a brother….." She rambled on.

Josh quieted her down by giving her a great big bear hug. "Good! Because if anyone, I mean anyone hurts you Riley, they will have to deal with me!" He said squeezing her as tight as he could.

"Thank you Josh." Riley replied. "I'm lucky to have an uncle like you. Nothing is wrong, I'm just coming down with a bug…."

She gave him one of her best smiles she could muster, and turned to her mom. "I'm going to go lie down."

Topanga put her arm around her daughter.

"I'll help you get there." She said giving her a sympathetic smile as she helped her daughter the only way she knew how to at that moment.

"It is the start of flu season" Josh said turning to face his brother.

"You're a Jr. in high school and you fell for that?" Cory said in unbelief. "Who has your teacher been?"

Josh smiled "I go to a normal school where my teachers are consistently changing year to year."

"No wonder why you are so slow." Cory scoffed.

Josh laughed and sat down on the couch. "Wait a second….. something is different here….. I have been here for a good solid 5 minutes and haven't been mauled by Maya yet." He said looking around for the girl who had been in love with him sense they met.

"There ya go….. someone is finally beginning to learn something." Cory said taking a seat next to him.

Josh sat their trying to make sense of everything. "Maya and Riley? They can't be fighting, they are like Cory and Shawn, only better."

Cory gasped "How could you say such a thing!"

Josh chuckled "Sorry bro, I only hear about your shenanigans, I've witnessed theirs."

"Shawny and I are the best! And will always be the best!" Cory exclaimed his face in utter shock that someone had denied that."

"Cory, I know you and Shawn are great, but this isn't about you right now. Now where is Maya, why is she not here? Why is Riley not herself? What's going on?" surprising himself with how concerned he was.

Cory leaned back on the couch taking a deep breath. "Well honestly I only have a few bits and pieces, but I think Riley is doing what Riley does best, and putting everyone's happiness above her own, no matter what."

"What do you mean? If she is putting Maya's happiness first, why isn't Maya here? Why does Riley seem like she will never be happy again?" Josh asked feeling more and more lost with the more he learned.

"Well Josh, Maya isn't here because she is on a date."

Josh laughed, "Maya wouldn't call a date with Fungas…."

"Farkle" Cory corrected

"Right Maya wouldn't call a date with Farkle a date, she'd call it community service, or helping the environment."

"Josh, Maya is on a date with Lucas."

"TEXAS?" Josh exclaimed jumping from the couch.

Cory slowly stood next to him. "Yes Josh, Texas. I actually think it's their 3rd date tonight and I should be over the moon that he isn't trying to get closer to Riley."

Josh couldn't believe the feelings that were surfacing as he thought about Maya on a date with the good looking, athletic cowboy from Texas. He should be relieved to not have the little girl following him around. She was 3 years younger than him. He was mature, she was….. Maya. He should be glad not to turn around whenever he was at the Matthew's and catch her staring at him. Looking at him with her beautiful blue eyes…

"Beautiful? Did I really just think that?" Josh panicked inside.

"I should be glad," Cory said interrupting Josh's thoughts. "I should be thrilled as a father. I locked him out of the classroom once."

Josh looked at his brother seeing the confusion in his older brother's eyes. His older brother who always knew what to do, what to say, how to teach life lessons whether in the classroom, or on the couch.

"I should be over the moon Josh, but one look at my daughter, and I just want to make all the pain I see in her eyes disappear. I'd give anything to have that cowboy walk through the door and ask my daughter on a date."

"Wow…. It must be bad if you're saying that." Josh responded quietly.

"I don't know what it is Josh, I'm in new waters…"

The two sat quietly on the couch for a few moments. Cory then slapped Josh on the knee.

"Well one thing is for sure, when I am lost and confused, Topanga always knows exactly what to do, and what's going on."

He stands up and starts walking back to find Topanga. "you know where the blankets and food are. Help yourself Josh."

"Yeah Thanks," Josh nods and watches as his brother goes back to talk to his perfect match, the girl of his dreams since he was 13….. or was it 11….. or was it 4. He can't help but wonder when he will finally find his dream girl. He grabs the remote while allowing his mind to drift back to the blue eyes he surprisingly missed.


	3. Chapter 3

Cory walked to his daughter's room and leaned against the door. He watched as his beautiful wife stroked their daughter's hair as the two lay in her bed. It was as if he fell in love with her all over again. She was the best person he knew. She always had been.

"Hey…." Cory said softly glancing at his daughter, but turning his gaze to Topanga.

"Hey back." Riley said from where she was at.

"Dad, I'm fine. Tell Mr. Matthews my teacher that I am fine too. It's just something that needs to happen for me to make the world my own."

"Riley does this have anything to do with…"

"No Dad, it has nothing to do with Lucas," She cut him off before he could finish.

"Are…"

"Dad, I'm just not feeling like myself, I just need some time to get back to Riley. I'll be fine, I just need some rest."

"Go ahead sweetie, in fact let's all call it a night." Topanga said looking at Cory giving him the drop it face that she received from him at times.

"Love you guys," Riley whispered as she climbed under her covers.

"And we love you!" Topanga said giving her daughter a kiss on the head before she stood to leave with her husband.

"I love you Riley, I love you and I am here from you, no matter what." Cory replied not ready to let it go, but knowing he had too.

"I know Dad….. I know," was the response he got before leaving the room with Topanga.

Riley laid in her bed as the silence and darkness engulfed her. The soft glow of the New York City lights came from her bay window. Once again her thought drifted toward her new brother.

"I can do this, I need to do this, it's for the best!" she told herself. "It won't be that hard. I just need to think of Lucas, the way I think of Auggie. If I do it for long enough, soon I won't even have to force myself anymore."

Riley knew she needed to be stronger, to keep her feelings buried deeper. Too many people were noticing her pain, and she couldn't have that. She couldn't let anyone know. Especially not Maya, it was her turn, her time to be with Lucas. To explore her feelings with him. She needed to be strong, to make the smile real.

"I will be better tomorrow, I will smile, and go on with my life with Lucas and Maya together, and me watching from the side as happy as ever….. I will, starting tomorrow"

She rolled over to stare out at the city from her bay window. She knew Maya would be coming through the window at any moment. She needed to be ready to be the best friend Maya needed and deserved.

"I will be happy and ready to face the day tomorrow, but for now… for tonight….. tonight I will be honest with myself."

She let the tears silently begin to flow. She thought of the first time she had seen Lucas, the first time they had spoken. The text messages, the laughs they'd shared, the fact that they were able to talk about real things about the sky, about what they each cared about. She thought about his eyes, about how she felt when he held her in the subway as they kissed for the first time, the way he couldn't take his eyes away from her on their first date. She knew how she truly felt. She knew the truth about her feelings for Lucas Friar, and he wasn't her brother. Whenever she punched him in the arm, those strong arms, she wanted him to embrace her. She wanted him to hold her and never let go for the rest of their lives, to be co-rulers of RIleytown.

Then for the first time Riley spoke the words that she had been feeling for a long time. She spoke them to get the truth out once and for all, so that she could finally move on, and forget about it.

"I love you Lucas Friar."

She wasn't sure when, but she finally dozed off as the tears continued to wet her pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

"We have to fix this! We have to do something, I can suspend Lucas! I can get rid of him for days! Weeks if I wanted too!" Cory exclaimed as he brushed his teeth, toothpaste started dribbling down his chin, but he didn't notice as he continued.

"I have that power Topanga, I can do it to make things better!"

"Cory….." Topanga said softly

"No Topanga, She is too young to have this be affecting her, she's just a kid! I am her father, I can make it better!"

"Cory…" Topanga said once more.

"I can't do anything can I," Cory said exasperated turning to go get cleaned up. "It's not that big of a deal. It's just one boy; there will be plenty of boys in her life. I can't believe I just said that, but it's true!"

"Cory…." Topanga sighed as she continued. "Do you remember the first time you asked me to be your girlfriend?"

"Topanga," Cory giggled while blushing. "How could I forget?"

"Then tell me, what happened before we became an item?"

Cory blushed even more, "Well you didn't give me an answer, and instead you kissed me."

Topanga laughed, "Even before that. How did we both end up at the movie?"

Cory thought for a moment about that experience.

Cory was in love with Topanga, the most beautiful girl at John Adams High. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep he loved her that much, but he couldn't tell her. He wanted her to be his girlfriend, he had prepped all summer for this moment. Yet when he saw her, he couldn't move. He even saluted her in their first class, then gave her a thumbs up. He told the only person he could, his best friend Shawn. He finally got the guts to ask her out at lunch. He started to tell her his plan when she said.

"Cory, I'm going with someone else." He felt so much pain at that moment, but couldn't let it show. He thought of an excuse to get out of the awkward situation he now found himself in. Then those dreaded words he heard from his best friend.

"I did…. I asked Topanga out."

Shawn had gone behind his back to ask Topanga out to the 'makeout movie'. That moment that Cory found out, he was more hurt than he had been in his life. His best friend, was going out on a date with the girl of his dreams. He had never felt so horrible.

He had to do something, but he wasn't thinking rationally. He went with his Brother Eric's advice to talk to Topanga's best friend. He started out just going to ask Trini about the Shawn and Topanga situation, yet when he saw Shawn and Topanga walk into Chubby's, he asked her out to the movie on Friday.

Friday night came and he watched as Shawn and Topanga started to sit closer to one another. He tried to do the same thing with Trini. The movie was interrupted by Mr. Feeny before it even started. Everyone ran out, everyone except for Cory.

He sat in the chair so lost and confused. Then Topanga came back, and he was finally able to be honest with her.

"Topanga, would you be my girlfriend?" He asked his eyebrows rose praying for the response he'd dreamed of hearing.

She didn't respond, she just leaned in and kissed him, and that was that.

Things weren't easier, in fact he felt more pain later in life, but that moment when Shawn he learned Shawn was taking Topanga out, when he saw them together, that had hurt more than anything he'd ever felt.

Cory snapped back into reality with a new understanding. And understanding that he didn't want to have, that he'd wished Topanga hadn't reminded him of. It wasn't exactly the same, but he had watched his best friend in the world, go out with his best girl in the world.

Topanga patiently waited as her husband began to make sense of things, to understand the pain Riley was feeling, and why she was feeling it.

"Topanga, that was different…. She is still too young to be there."

"Cory how old were we?"

"Older than Riley is."

"Cory…" Topanga gently pushed.

"It was the beginning of our 8th grade year."

"And how old is Riley?"

Cory didn't want to answer, but knew his wife wouldn't let him stay silent.

"She is older than we were. She is already into her 8th grade year."

That's when it hit Cory. He knew what he needed to do; he knew what he needed to tell his daughter.

"I've got to go talk to Riley, as a friend, I've got to tell her the truth."

Topanga smiled as reluctantly her husband let the light bulb turn on in his head. How he loved this man, who was finally about to accept the fact that not only was Riley growing up, but she and Cory had a lot more in common than he'd ever admitted before.

"Tomorrow Cory," She whispered as she walked to her husband.

"Tomorrow?" Cory cocked an eyebrow at his wife.

"We will help her grow up tomorrow, tonight, let's let her have one last night as your little Riley."

Cory nodded in agreement, "tomorrow then."

The house seemed quiet as the two climbed in bed, unaware of the bay window slowly opening and a figure coming in.

Maya silently crawled through the window. She looked around expecting her best friend to be sitting at the window waiting for her. She was always waiting for her.

Maya glanced to the bed to see a saw a body slowly breathing as a soft snore lurked from the figure.

"Oh Riles," Maya whispered, "I thought things weren't going to change, but things always change. Things have to change, we have to grow up."

"Hello purple kitty," Riley groggily muttered and Maya couldn't help but chuckle.

"Still the same old Riley," She thought.

It had been another awkward silent date with Lucas, this time she not only poured her smoothie on him, she threw her fries at his handsome face. Her stomach was about to digest itself. She slowly crept into the kitchen surprised to see the TV quietly playing an infomercial. She crept over to turn it off and nearly peed her pants when she heard a soft moan from the couch. She looked over in surprise to see Josh peacefully sleeping on the sofa.

She was frozen in place as a soft sigh escaped her mouth causing Josh to begin to stir.


	5. Chapter 5

Maya's brain was going a billion miles a minute and finally it clicked. "He's waking up! Don't be some creepier HIDE!"

With all the energy she could muster she dove to the ground knocking the candy dish of the side table. She quickly and quietly began to crawl behind the couch. Just when she thought she was safe she came nose to nose with Josh. She stared at his goofy smirk at his beautiful eyes; his hair was messy, yet perfect. He was perfect.

"Hi…." Josh said.

"Hey….." Maya said surprised at how lovey dovey it sounded. "Snap out of it Maya", she scolded herself. "Be Cool! You're cool, not Riley, not romance, your Maya!"

"Hi…." She sighed again as she once again got lost in his eyes.

"Well as much as I like being here on the ground with you," Josh finally spoke as he stood up and offered his hands to help Maya up.

"I was looking for…my contact." Maya stammered out as she mentally kicked herself for the lame excuse.

"I didn't know you wore contacts," Josh said accusingly.

"Well, that's one of many things you don't know about me. I'm quite the mystery!" Maya said finally regaining her confidence.

"I see," Josh smiled, "Is another mystery that you would rather talk to me on the floor?" He teased his hands still reaching out to help Maya up.

"Maybe it is….." Maya said then reached for his hands. "Maybe it isn't," She was shocked out how soft and warm his hands felt as they wrapped around hers. How strong he seemed as he lifted her to his feet without any effort.

Josh was fighting his own battle in his head. This was his niece's best friend. In a way it was his niece too, and yet….. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was exhausted, but the way her blue eyes gleamed in the darkness, the way her hair fell at that moment, the way her hands felt in his. His argument to her had always been the fact that she was three years younger than him. Yet at that moment, it didn't matter. At that instant, she was perfect, something was stirring inside of him as the two shared this silent moment hands locked.

Maya felt Josh's gaze on her and moved to meet it. For once in a long time, she was speechless. She couldn't think of anything to say. She hadn't ever felt this way before. She just stared at Josh's perfect face, at his jawline up to his lips, than back to his eyes. He wasn't letting go of her hands, his eyes seemed confused.

The two stood in the Matthews front room, sharing their feelings without speaking a word. Josh's head was yelling at him to stop, but he couldn't help it as he slowly lowered his face towards Maya's.

Maya couldn't believe this was happening, and yet it just seemed right she watched as Josh slowly came closer to her his gaze dropping to her lips. She wasn't sure what to do, and yet her body seemed to act on its own as it began to meet Josh in the middle.

She could feel is warm breath on her lips, it gave her goose bumps from her head to her toe. She slowly parted her lips, and braced herself for impact.

The lights suddenly flicked on and almost instantly the two teenagers broke apart and turned to see what or who had caused the moment to end.

"Maya?" Topanga questioned from behind her husband who was holding a bat in his hands.

"My Brother?" Cory questioned with confusion.

"Hi….."Maya said her hands finding the back pocket of her jeans.

"Hey….." Josh said one of his hands raising up to scratch the back of his head.


End file.
